He is by no means perfect, and especially this summer he has tested my and many fellow Gooners’ patience to the extreme. Things never seem to be straightforward with Arsene. When he was given a big budget this summer, as well as a promise that none of the top players would be sold, and a clear commitment by Gazidis to bring ‘super quality’ to the club, Arsene appeared to dither and not make best use of this vastly improved strategic position.

He somehow managed to turn things round in the last few days of the TW, with first signing the Flame and then, when we thought we could hear the fat lady sing her final lamentation – by sheer magic and at the very last minute – he brought us the European King of Assists.

I am more than satisfied with the final outcome but the way things were done over the summer have left me questioning Wenger and the club’s management ‘business skills’ for the first time.

It is always good to question ourselves whether we could improve things for Arsenal with another manager, but when we do so, we must look at what we could gain as well as lose by replacing him.

A few years ago, whilst reading Alain de Botton’s ‘The Consolations of Philosophy’ – an easy digestible book about how philosophy can help improve your daily life – I became intrigued by a particular topic. In the chapter called ‘(Consolations for) A Broken Heart’, de Botton explains how we can deal with being unhappy in a long term relationship with our partner. He advises us to go back to the reason why we decided to enter a long term relationship with our current partner in the first place. De Botton believes we enter long-term relationships with our partners because we believe he/she can improve us; and this improvement takes place in our offspring: our kids are to become better versions of ourselves.

For most of us, this is a subconscious, intuitive process, but we appear to pick our partners with the aim of eventually producing children who are a physical and intellectual improvement of ourselves – an upgrade, if you like. Of course, there are no guarantees this will indeed be the case; which reminds me about the famous little anecdote of Marilyn Monroe suggesting to Albert Einstein to imagine what a baby produced between the two of them could be like – with her looks and his brains; to which Einstein responded: ‘but what if it is the other way round?’.

De Botton believes by going back to why we got together with our partners, and by realising that our offspring is indeed an improvement of ourselves, we should be able to accept that we are sometimes bored, or even a bit unhappy, in our long-term relationships: but it is still a price worth paying.

I feel that the club relationship (and therefore our relationship) with Arsene Wenger should be seen in a similar light.

As a club we have gained tremendously from our long-term relationship with Arsene Wenger. Our ‘offspring’ is a number of titles and cups, a very attractive brand of football, a new stadium, but most importantly a totally embedded change of culture and a more or less permanent seat at the zenith of European football, although this is not reflected in our recent trophy cabinet.

We have come through a tough post-new-stadium phase, but it looks like we are finally getting back on track towards silverware. We might not win anything this year but at least we will feel we have a proper chance again, and that is all we can ask for.

It looks like our relationship with Arsene is entering a new lease of life and a further improvement of ourselves is a strong possibility once again.

But the next seven games are likely to be a proper test of the quality of our relationship going forward. Let’s hope we’ll come through it stronger and more joined up than ever before.

Umm.. I dunno, but have to say that there is little reason for unhappiness to me personally. Temper and today are temporary, class is forever..

For those unhappy with AW think about where we’d be with the old stadium, the great buys from nothing, the approach that not always pretty kept us inEurope, or a worse interim over the last 8 years… Does Spurs begin to seem reasonable? We could easily have become them or worse.. All this, like it or not is owed to AW.

For those for whom trophies are all that matter, to me it’s the journey. A rarer trophy is worth way more than easy winning. Is winning La Liga really a big deal when only two or at most three teams might win?

Totally agree,
easily could have gone the way of Liverpool, once great now mediocre.
Peoples jealousy of the sugardady clubs’ is annoying as we are doing it the correct way.
Our time is fast approaching and no amount of oil money is going to stop us.
This is worth the wait and the look on the media’s face when their fancy pants clubs fall and we rise to the top will be priceless.
Man U are the new Liverpool and we shall take up the mantle as the top team the media darling’s if you will.
Well worth the wait.

Mmmmn …. TA, I think you may have stretched the ‘similar’ view a tad too far?

We are, after all said and done, only a very interested neighbor looking over the fence at how the real relationship between the ‘couple’, i.e. the Club and Arsene develops and grows? Much as we may admire what they have done with ‘their’ house of which we have more than a passing interest regards ‘property’ prices and a wider recognition for the immediate area, as well the tenants of that house … Ultimately, it is the house we care about, and just want nice neighbours to continue to improve it?

Oh,enough of this .. I’ll be talking next of water features and conservatories!

Fans will always split at the extremes. Some will moan at a poor game even if they are 16 points clear in the league and already won both domestic Cups. Others will cherish the memory of one brilliant match in a season, and keep ever hopeful of a better season next time. The joy of success by which people judge will also be different, as will the way they handle disappointment. Expectation level can only manage both to a point, and it is not about missing out on ecstasy of a great game in order to save depression at a pathetic loss. Both can be felt by the person who knows that football is a game of winners and losers, but the passion for the club is what makes us feel pain as well as joy. Alas for some, that love is based too much on the self only wanting gratification, and not fully committing to the relationship as a whole? For them, the relationship will always be fragile, and they are the real losers.

The next 7 games could determine Arsene’s future?

Nah! Life is never that cut and dried. Not to mention we are back to being the neighbour looking in. What Arsene, or the Club, decide is unlikely affected by a run of games in the first half of the season.

Supposing we get thrashed by Norwich 3-nil, go into the Dortmund game, and again lose. Shellshocked, they go defensive and get a 0-0 against Palace .. what then? Wenger out? For some may be? But wait, we win the next 4 games, rounding off with a stunning show against the oilers? Back on track.

No it is not the collection of individual games that is important, it is the platform to build upon for the future, whether that be the next game or next season. That is what drives Arsene Wenger forward, and why the club, and the fans(should) back him to the point where he feels he can do no more. The physical games may be out of his control to some degree, but his philosophy, and that of the club, are simply a vehicle in which we as fans are lucky enough to be passengers.

Thanks for comments guys and interesting views. Don’t agree much with you Gerry but will respond at some point tonight. For now: what if Arsene himself will use the 7 games to decide on his future? 😕 🙂

Seems like your post today is based on some comments i read from yesterday’s post..are we a loss-away from the ‘Arsene we rust’ banners??..how will the fans react to our next loss..NOTE, i said FANS not PLAYERS as i believe they’re way too good and mentally strong to bounce right back on track…BUT what about the fans???

the philosophy comparison between the fans and our relationship with Le Prof is spot on!!..i couldn’t be more proud that Arsene is at the helm of the club i LOVE.. a man with soo much insight, intelligent, humble, diligent and on top of that a man who BLEEDS Arsenal..he obviously has his flaws but what he’s done for us is almost divine..so during THOSE hard times, i still shared in his vision..SHORT term pain LONG term gain

However, it is your last line in your reply that I half agree with. It will be Arsene that who decides his future, but I don’t think he is that fickle to be close a decision come December?. Even supposing a monumental collapse, which I do not envisage, slip ups may be, I still think he would not walk. He would stay and still provide the best platform to begin the 2014/15 season, for himself or his successor.

The only thing these 7 games do is indicate how strong we are in relation to the title chase? Not out of it, but may be where we need to strengthen for the second half of the season.
What is implied by the title that if we are not in the hunt for the title come December, then what? .. Well you tell me in your reply.

I don’t think we are that far apart on the relationship with the Club, that for the moment includes Arsene. I mean by that, if we see Arsene leave and be a manager of another club, we do not all become supporters of that club? No matter how close or integral Arsene Wenger’s philosophy is intertwined with the club, you can only take that so far?

So the only fans may be stronger after these 7 games, are the very ones who are ‘one bad result away from a Wenger out’ return? And If that is dependent on 7 positive results then those fans will not have grown stronger, only a little less quick to pull the trigger?

I see these 7 games as a challenge, as I think most fans do? Positive results are a reward for previous heartaches. A mixed bag of results means we know, and that includes the management, we need to improve. Negative results, especially through bad team selection, poor play, then we will moan .. but The Arsenal is still the club we support, and will continue to do so, because the next 7 games after these are where we show our character and come back.

Philosophy is fine, but for it to be successful it needs to embrace all parties? My political philosophy is a very anarchistic one, but society is nowhere near ready for individuals to be responsible for their own actions, so they will continue to be governed for many generations after my time. I accept that, so I keep it just as a personal ideal. I no more see an engagement of all fans being enlightened such as proposed in this post.

I agree with Geoff, we should embrace the journey, including the outcome of the next 7 games, and the next 7 games, and the next 7 after that. The journey never ends, but the pleasures along the way is what keeps us going, but never will satisfy some?.

TA, Great post. Personally I love it when we take a step back and try to examine why we waste, er, spend, our time watching the Arsenal so closely. IMO we ALL want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves even if we’re (very) ambivalent about such things. There’s joy in joining up with others on a shared project, but there’s also a profound lack of control that is scary. How can events in North London affect me so deeply? Why do I care what other fans/supporters/observers think? It really is a bit hard to justify. Still, as stories outside my little world go, it’s the one in which I’m truly immersed…

For me, having come to discover Arsenal only relatively late on, Arsene IS the story. (Someday, when things are *really* slow, I’ll dig out my “how I became a gooner story”…) It’s been almost Shakespearean watching AW age and suffer as he’s tried to navigate the expectations brought on by the stadium move AND the new money in the sport. Let’s not forget that our strategy of using real estate development (rather than only debt…) to finance the growth of the club has been severely impacted by the bursting of that bubble.

I believe that we will have enough success over this next run of fixtures to allow our manager to tie his fate to the club for several more seasons in a (relatively…) blockbuster final contract. Personally, I believe it’s a (very) good thing, even if others have railed against the manager. At low points I’ve thought that maybe he should step out. After all, how much abuse can one man take? The corollary is that I’ve also worried that there appears no real plan for succession. If AW signs a new contract I really hope that, over it’s length, we see not only greater success on the pitch (the proverbial happy ending…), but the development of better management at ALL levels and an indication that it’s not just a single man and that the club would be rudderless without him.

So, obviously, there’s work left to do. Still, it’s an incredible story and the idea that a person’s career and reputation should be tied to a single institution is a wonder if not a complete anachronism. We’re a culture which denies aging (and death…) so we aim to maximize things for ourselves, in the moment, rather than consider our legacy. As such, people believe it’s perfectly appropriate to jump ship for more inviting waters and bigger treasures. The marriage analogy works. Successful men (rich men, all men these days?…) are almost expected to have a series of wives (and a series of children, all of whom end up disappointing them)… Why stick with the old one, when younger ones avail themselves?…

The truth, however, remains: you’re born with nothing and you will leave this world in a similar state. So, what to do? My thought is: spend your time well, join with others doing likewise and build a pleasing trove of memories while (whilst?) trying to enjoy the moment at hand–not easy if you sense that things are winding down…Like the professor (jgc, not AW…) says: it’s the journey…

And, speaking of offspring, here comes my boy… He’s pretty like his mother but she’s still a good one too. Yes, there are younger ones out there but she and I have a (very) nice thing which deepens as time goes by. I’m glad that I can look at BOTH of them and feel love and pride…

It’s hard to feel a similar pride in the time and energy I spend (waste) watching Arsene and Arsenal, but (deep down, at least…) I do…

😀 (Thanks for reading…and, if you still are…the snow was brief. Now it’s crisp autumnal weather, perfect for wood splitting and otherwise preparing for the deeper stuff…)

Sorry for the above…Let’s get these damn international matches over and get our players back–healthy (rested?), confident and inspired for the matches ahead…

England-Poland at noon, Costa Rica-Mexico this evening, I think, are the only ones with much at stake available on the telly for me… Spain have to beat Georgia to win their group, France likewise with Finland to make the playoffs? (Both play their matches at home, I believe…) Wales must have a 90+ minute runaround scheduled for Ramsey against somebody…

reading the latest Arsene Wenger interview – one thing in particular that he said should basically cast aside all the doubts about his own future at Arsenal.

he said ” ideally, you want 60-80% of players, home grown and educated like the Ramsey’s, Wilshere’s, Gibb’s e.t.c e.t.c”

now that for me is a massive statement of disguise in which he is basically saying – i got what i wanted, i have a great mix of my own players that i have educated, why on earth would i be looking to go else where and abandon what i have educated and created after years and years of hard work for some other project ? this is my team – they play the way i want and i will keep on improving it and make them play according to my philosophy cause it’s taken me bloody 17 years to get here and i am sure as hell going to be staying here for the foreseeable future.

and i agree with him – it’s just sensible, you don’t break a marriage because of 7 bad days/nights – women usually have a bad week every month anyway 😉 so in essence 7 bad game days will mean nothing over a year and when you look at it in that context.

TV is set to start against the Ramsey 11 tonight, that’s going to be a decent game, i hope Ramsey treats it as a friendly or sits this one out 😀

Ramsey

BFG

Giroud

are the ones in most need of a breather, i’m not fussed about Ozil because he’s an intelligent player, he knows not to go into a challenge at full throttle, if you know what i mean – although a straight red for Ramsey is going to be fantastic 😀

Gotcha, Bond, re Spain and France and goal diff. I didn’t realize Belgium-Wales was on the docket…

Also, thanks for the insights re: marriage/women… 😉 😆

Anybody else got a feeling that we might see a Wenjury to one of our starting CBs so that the captain gets a chance with the first 11? Hey, there’s an interlull post…”Is it OK to have a captain who doesn’t play?”… Not philosophical enough for me to write it, of course… Plus, I’ve got too much wood to split, (move, stack, etc)…

I did not realise that Jenks played LB at the previous Under 21’s? After all my comments about his one leggedness, the mind boggles how he managed it 😆

I also saw the ‘Sharp Dressed Man’ photos. I’ll come back with the link, but he really is one of a kind?

I did not managed to get the latest news on what was good on the injury front for the Dortmund?Chelsea game – I assume it is Santi and Poldi, but it might be Vermaelin and Theo?

What do we think about TV5 and January then? If Arteta has the Captains armband, is that a clue? I get the feeling that if whoever they might get to be a good sub for Per, then he is likely to get more games than TV5, so a move makes sense … providing tthey sign up Sagna as 4th choice CB?

the way i see the injury news is that Santi is available, raring to go vs Norwich

Theo might be as well, although, i reckon they will both be on the bench and eased into it vs Norwich last 20 minutes or so to get match fitness and then fully unleashed vs Dortmund ?

Poldi the same vs Crystal Palace and then unleased against Chelsea the following week

so what i’m really trying to say here is that Rosicky/Arteta/Flam’s/JW/Ramsey/Ozil/Gnabry be the likely starters with a few on bench along with Santi and if not Theo on the bench for Norwich.

re- TV and his latest comments, then they are greatly twisted , he clearly says ” in football things can happen very quickly and my situation can change” he means – an injury can occur and i might be having to play 5 games in one go and then be a permanent starter @ Gerry (Hello – hope you’re keeping well and it’s not too bad with the dogs lately)

and don’t be too surprised re- Jenks, he may seem one dimensional but there is nothing that you can’t overcome with hardwork, grit and determination, hell you can even start scoring goals using your head (stares at an ex ARsenal player aka Gervinho)

not that he wants or wanted to leave Arsenal… the captains armband that he has at Arsenal is along the lines of “Carrot and Stick ” @ 17HT

Thanks for the dog inquiry. Things are not great when one is on the terminal short-list.
I have a feeling my early post was tinged with that when thinking of commitment to a relationship?

Anybody who loves their dogs know from the outset that it will end in heartache, but you commit just the same. If you only enjoy you dog for the good days and just get through the average/everyday times, you miss out what is important to them, and what makes their individual characters. If you embrace it all, then the pain that follows is eased by the knowledge that they have been loved throughout.

Even now, watching the one who has the cancer … in the the words of the song …
‘I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing’ …
because she is still here, and beautiful as ever.

Of course it’s the Journey Geoff, but for that movement is required. Are we watching another false dawn or moving into the light now?

I reckon its the latter and I deerly hope so. I will still say the next 7 games will determine a lot and unlike others I also believe that if go well Arsene will say and they go bad he might decide to leave.

Agreed, Gerry–yeah, I always wonder if I should actually post my longer ones as I write mostly for my own entertainment…The professor, world traveler, etc. (jgc) has (maybe) other responsibilities and (maybe) needs to keep things pithy…As we say here in California…”It’s all good”…

Re: TV5. On my news now feed (which I glance at to get a feel for what people are tweaking over in the goonersphere…) yesterday there was one saying he was leaving in Jan. right above another saying that he was completely comfortable with his situation…Words can be twisted to whatever perspective you choose…

I just gave 17 year old Luna a big hug as she gave her (wondrous…) single bark asking to come back into the house. What a dog she’s been! I fear that once the snow is in I may let her out and she might just lay down and take care of things on her own… 😦 Most definitely, I’m trying to appreciate rather than be only saddened…

So, Jacky boy (smoking AND pissing?…) to start tonight? Big call for Roy and plenty of spotlight/pressure on our little guy…Hopefully he’s enjoying it…Sir Chez still watching from the bench for the Poles? Gotta get out if I’m gonna waste the warmest hours watching it…

I thought…..”What the fcuk is he going on about ? “….I mean, I was attracted to my future wife by her…..JUG`s…..gullibility….JUG`s…..higher income…..JUG`s…..cooking…..JUG`s…..ironing…..JUG`s etc……not…” she can improve me ! “……then I see in the next paragraph you say it`s in the sub-conscience !, good, because I`m just a Cockie Monster !. So glad it`s in the sub-conscience so I don’t have to read any of that philosophy shit !.
Not sure what it all means when I`m banging the BK WAGS though !…..yes you fcukers….been wondering what the mysterious blue fur in the bed is !. Have my kids you`ve been raising turned out better than me ?. hahaha

I want England to win tonight, but not as much as I want Arsenal to win on Saturday !.

Bond, how come BFG gets to be ill when everybody else has to be injured? Doesn’t seem quite fair to me…Maybe you get special treatment when you’ve worn the armband… Speaking of which, what’s the latest on Bac’s “hamstring”? He’s not with his nat’l squad is he…

Sir Chez starts a break but the English SCSZ collects Lewandoski’s dribbler…

This is really fun…Sir Chez off his line but takes a kick from Welbeck (who, along with Sturridge is at a far lower level than Rooney, Gerrard and the spud)… Jack could (maybe) be a difference maker as the Polish defense has to tire…

I wanted us to sign Begevic in the TW , but i still rate Szcz as a great young keeper in a few years he will be top Q . You clearly realy don’t like him so there is no point in me saying any more about him really,
Theo and Townsend would be great Jb agreed on that 1. You have to admit spud or not he looks like a great player. Abit of composer in front of goal from our forwards tonight and the score could be very high tonight, i like what i have seen from England tonight all but the finishing

A lot to agree with Bond, about our keeper and in terms of the players you mention and we see pretty eye to eye re: Lewa…

Ideally, Sir Chez learns from his mistakes. He’s still very young and I think England would be 2 or 3 up if the ends were switched, i.e., if the ManCity keeper was in the polish goal.

It IS a short term weakness that we’re using such a green keeper, but SCSZ, I think, may be a stabilizing force at the back for years to come. Like others say (in reference to Ramsey lately…) you cannot teach confidence and heart and application (not to mention height)… I believe our guy has these qualities…

I saw Carrick once, wrestling Lewa down in the box on one of the Polish breaks…

WHOA…nearly an OG…Sir Chez needs to talk to his boys…Has he forgotten his native language?…

Anyhow, England look good for Brazil. Are you really headed over, 007?

This is a run-out, not a big game for Poland (we should remember…) as Lewa fluffs one that Hart will take credit for… 🙄 … Sorry, I’m with Total (but still think he should switch his avatar to Sicky’s girl)… ;lol:

Hey Bond, if you won’t write a post (sample title: “Why I hate Sneezy”) what about an avatar?…

C’mon, RA, a post about FFP on an I-phone sounds like a challenge right up your alley… 😆 Pop by anytime, eh, not just once a year…

Wow Bond, that’s a big trip for 3 group games and a whupping in the round of 16… I guess the beach activities could make it all worthwhile…

Glad to see we have some agreement on strikers. Would you rate Sir Chez > Hart or visa versa? I know where I stand on that one, and I think, if he can keep this scoreline, it will be a good outing for him…Still too tight to bring on any subs?…

I dont need to defend him the fact is Wenger rates him and he made him number 1 at Arsenal and he will play next game. Plus the Poland manager dropped Boruc and made him Poland’s number 1 tonight. So he must be doing something right,
I learnt a long time ago when i thought i was 100% right only to find out i was wrong, that taught me humility to listen to others more carefully.
I think your problem with him is some of his decision making.?? His shot stopping his first class, so it must be that. I agree that it is sometimes badly wrong, but that is the only way to learn, he will be a better keeper for his mistakes. He is also very skilful with his feet something that is important these days.
But i don’t totally disagree with you, there is better keepers out there, he is still young
TA,
Thanks and i totally agree, if the Boss says he is good enough then that is good enough for me.
YESSSSSSSSS we are going to Brazil 😉

why don’t you write your maiden post for us on Sczny and maybe i can contribute with my comments on that one ?

but to sum it up in a line ” he lacks the personality, presence and LEVEL HEAD needed for a top notch keeper”.

as a keeper, you either have it or you don’t – sadly, at this present moment of time, he hasn’t got it for me to be our no.1 keeper, maybe in the future he may well have all that i would expect from a no.1 keeper at one of the biggest clubs in the world and in Europe.

time to do some fare searching and what not for Brazil, laters everyone

that German game was mental though 5-3 it ended with a chelsea boy scoring a hat-trick

2-nil and Gerrard should get full credit for playing to the whistle…Again, waaay too tough to pin it on Sir Chez…Overall a very good run-out for him…(Lewa’s, I fear, may not have been what his agent was hoping for…) Glad that your boys did enough and didn’t have to rely on the ref…

I’m with PG that you’re too harsh on our keeper, so I will stop work on your statue, Bond… 😆 If you’re coming to the new world for the beach life, why not stop by California…

In truth, with a little Arsenal interest (Theo, Jack, KG, maybe even the Ox…) I will be pulling (just a bit) for you guys…With a lucky draw and some good bounces you could make the final 8, maybe?…Just do better than our team (USA), please…

don’t get me wrong @ 17HT – i would tear everyone else to shreds from outside Arsenal to criticize any of our players including Sczny , but since it’s only our lot and the arsenal family, i’m not going to pretend that all is well at arsenal and AW gets it right 100% every time – sure he’s the best manager ever but he is human and every one makes mistakes..

very harsh on Fabianki to be dropped after he was the one who started our good run when our bad run was started by Sczny – no way in hell should BM have scored 3 goals that night at the Emirates, the 3rd one was an absolute gift….similarly, i don’t agree with his use of Substitutions either

anyhow – let it be, ha

oh cheers, i hear there be pretty babes in Cali and for that reason alone, the Mrs. will not agree to it , however, i’m very humbled by your offer and really do appreciate it but sorry, i’m not much of a wood chopper/cutter (if , that’s why you wanted me over) only joking !

we won’t be seeded so it’s going to be tough getting out of the group stages, if i’m honest with you… but you never know

Fair play, James…No–obviously, I’m not doing much wood chopping at the moment, either…

Points well taken re: the two poles in our keeping ranks…Sir Chez at least is taller, but yes, tough on Fabianski…and you know I’m not one to “believe” in the injury records of our players… A domestic cup might raise an eyebrow or two if the latter can help hoist one…

OK, I gotta do my real job (pick up the kid from school… 🙄 )

Any injuries reported or must we make them up as we prep (rotate) for the coming matches?…At least (my opinion…) the break is “over”…

Hi guys, just a little reporting from teh France-Finland game. France played 4-2-3-1 with Pogba/Matuidi as a double pivot, and 3 technical dwarves (Ribery/Valbuena/Nasri) behind Giroud… very arsenal-ish. Ribery wrecked havoc on his wing and scored a screamer (he’s really on fire these days), Ollie did his usual thing – lots of work, deflections, disrupting runs – and scored a nice header although it might be registered as an own goal as a defender couldn’t do much more than kick the ball in his net. He was replaced after 80′ by Benzema who also scored a nice one (served by Ribery).

But France finished second of their group and will have to play against one of Portugal, Croatia, Greece and Ukraine, so it’s not done yet. I must say it’s been a while since they played that decently (even though Finland is not really your top team). Kos did well, but defense overall was not that secure. Anyway the good news is neither Kos nor Ollie are injured.

Oh and Pogba… I *really* am more and more impressed, he’s physical, technical, and so mature for his age. Sees the game well, has a good engine but also speed, he shoots missiles like our own cool-foot-Luke… and Arsene (consultant and commenting the game) does rate him highly. If we could secure him on a 5 year contract, I wouldn’t mind overspending a bit on him (in a way Arsene probably woudn’t!).

Otherwise I read Özil scored but was replaced by Draxler (82′) after a “a duel with Olsson”? Was he injured?

Ozil has a bruied knee – most likely a cut and blood, nothing serious hopefully – he went straight down the tunnel for some treatment, we will know more later

yes, good call on Pogba, i wouldn’t mind selling Diaby and getting Pogba, but i doubt if, Pogba would want to be a bench warmer – so we give Diaby one last chance as long as he retires from international football after the upcoming world cup…and takes a wage cut.

Really guys…..what do we know about Football management and transfers that Wenger hasn’t already mastered and perfected? He has proven once again that he is the master of last minute transfers, youth development and finding diamonds rejected by others. It is simply ridiculous to say that 7 games will determine his future and equally idiotic to pretend that we can have anything to say about his future at the Club.
Who cares whether we felt aggrieved by his transfer behaviour during the summer or whether we agree or not with the results….certainly not him .Frankly it is a 38 game season and potentially a 14 game CL process, as well as the other Cups. I will judge him and the team by the results we achieve by May 30th, and not a moment sooner!
Now is the time to do the ONLY job we are legitimately entitled to, and that is support him and the team against all comers.

TA, jgc, Gerry, 17ht, thank you for the splendid posts and comments. I’d chip in if I wasn’t so tired, but I think between yourselves, all has been said (including the little disagreements). Personally, I regard Arsene/Arsenal a bit like I do my children (with the provision that I *do* understand the relative importance of the fact that they are my children vs. football being just a silly game!) – they make me happy, sometimes disappoint me but I always look to the effort and heart they put in developing and growing and learning, and I will always love them! If one of them get caught smoking early morning in front of a club that won’t do it however (at least not when they’re 9, 9 and 11).

Just because we haven’t “mastered or perfected ” the art of tactics , formations , policies and so on relating to football doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be able to express our opinions which we’re all ” perfectly entitled ” to…

they may seem idiotic to someone riding on his mighty horse at the expense of having no brains , however ,no one is immune to criticism or public opinion in the world of football.

Alcide, thanks for the match report and if you’ve got an 11 year old (as I do) PLUS 9 yr old twins, you have every right to be tired… I want more Messy, so hopefully, it’s minor and manageable. With Jack “well-rested,” we should be OK. Additionally we’ve got Sicky “retired” and Flams and Arteta “not good enough” for their national teams, plus Santi coming back…

I think the wee one (on his high horse…) is more or less correct, but your response, 007, made me LOL and you’re correct (IMO) as well… I think the post is there, Mr. Donald, because a new contract for the manager is in the works. I would expect it to be a big one, and maybe the question is how you feel about it? Whether or not your feelings “matter” is another issue entirely… Some might like to feel theirs do, others might not give a crap… Isn’t this what makes the world go round?… 😀

Well that was an entertaining evening. For once I enjoyed watching the England match.

It was an open, fast moving game, with both sides having chances.

For the record JB, the Poles manager has criticised Lewandawski for not playing as well for Country as he does for his Club. In fact his record is very average in his National shirt. So perhaps a tad early to call on him being SQ or not? I think you’ll see a different side of him next week?

I watched the Under 21’s earlier, and Jenks came on as an early sub in his more usual spot as RB. He actually had a very good game. Having said that, he he had very little defending to do, so it was all about his support in attacks, but I am impressed with his variety of passing with his right foot, the instep and the outside. I think if the coaches filled his right boot with lead weights he might get to use his left more? The trouble is he has had a lifetime of learning how not to 😆

England Yoof won 5-0 and all the paper talk will be about Ravel Morrison, and when we play WHA he will need watching. Very skillful with his feet and movement, but, no I mean BUT, I would not have him in an Arsenal shirt at any price. He has a severe personality problem which is all about SELF. Team mates are only a necessity to have around to make him look good. He is still young, but I don’t see that side of him ever leaving him until his career is over.

The WBA guy, and if you believe the gossip, could be Giro’s missing link, was marked out of the game in the first half, but scored a cracker after the break. He also denied Morrison a hat-trick by taking the late spot kick … that went down like a lead balloon with RM ha ha.
He has a lot going for him, but for his sake I hope he stays with WBA a bit longer, as the more he plays the better he will be?

The one midfielder that did impress me, and also scored, was Ward-Prouse of S’hampton. He just got on with things in a quiet way, supplying intelligent passes for others, and tackling too. Paul Ince’s boy I think is a tad overrated. He does some things very well and can look a real gem, but at other times just very ordinary.. I think if he makes a big money move he will get ‘lost’ at a bigger club. If Blackpool wasn’t managed by his dad then he would be better off staying there and playing regularly with a team that can play decent football?

I am disappointed with some of those dates for the returnees on JM’s list. Particularly in regards their readiness to play Norwich. Surely they can’t all be saved for the Dortmund game?

JM – Did you attend the ‘One Ok Rock’ gig on Sunday? Annoyingly they have changed their website so it is not so easy to play their tracks anymore. If I could find my I-Tunes password I might have to buy an album soon.

Hope for good news on Ozil and others. I suppose if Jack plays on Saturday we could rest Ramsey, as he has had no break at all for some time now? Fingers crossed, eh?

Always good to read a comment from the Wenger is faultless brigade: it sharpens up the picture. But let me say one thing: the club is never above its fans – it exists because of its fans. And fans will always have their say – the manager is never above them.

I rate Wenger and love to stay. This is reflected in the post. The next seven games don’t stand alone but are linked with past and future; and the title has the word ‘might’ in it.

Please read the post properly next time, or at least the headline, before you comment.

I do not have much time on my hands, so I will be quick. The next seven games could be very crucial to our season as we will be facing teams (i.e. Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United) who will be looking to win the league or at least finish in the top four, as well as Dortmund in the CL. I would not really want to see us losing any of those games. Why? Because we are just as good as any of those teams (maybe apart from Dortmund); our form has been really good this season starting from the end of last season and we will have players returning from injuries. Liverpool are also having a good run so I think we really need to get the three points at the Emirates when we face them.

These seven games coming up can definitely determine where we finish at the end of season. I think Arsene will decide whether he stays at Arsenal during the latter part of the season. However I just do not see Wenger leaving Arsenal. He looks like he has at least another 10 years in him. 😀 I think we’ll just have to wait and see what happens and whether Wenger chooses to stay at Arsenal next season.

Just been reading over the other comments. Very happy to see the return of the Cockie (the second cumming of Glic), the return of our financial expert RA (I soon after see 17ht’s request for another post on FFP. 😀 ) and the likes of JGC, Gerry, 17ht, JB and TA writing some fantastic stuff in their comments. Good to see JB still hates Szez but I bet you would miss him if Glic, Fozzie and Terry kidnapped him and permanently banished him to Glic land. 😀 JB, Szez is a very young keeper with huge amounts of potential and can only go better. It could be much worse. When Szez starts to make us lose games, like a certain English GK (I’m thinking of the overrated HART!!!) has done for City in the past while screwing up for England on many occasions, then I will grab my pitchfork and join you JB. I also disagree with you about Lewandowski but I totally agree with one of your other comments.

You said

Just because we haven’t “mastered or perfected ” the art of tactics , formations , policies and so on relating to football doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be able to express our opinions which we’re all ” perfectly entitled ” to…

I fully agree with this comment. Sure Wenger is one of the best managers but for people to say we cannot ever question him is wrong. Nobody is perfect and even the best can make mistakes. No one is above being questioned and just because we are not experts on a particular topic it does not mean we should not have a right to an opinion or be able to question the experts. That goes for football (or other sports), the economy, politics, history, war, music or whatever the topic is.

We may get to see our players being rotated for the Norwich game, with the recovering players on the starting on the bench (Cazorla, Sanogo, Rosicky, Oezil). Gnabry, Wilshere and Ramsey might start behind Giroud, with Arteta and Flamini as double pivot. I believe everyone in the 1st team will have to step up and be counted with significant contributions defensively and offensively when they play for us and earn victory against Norwich.

I did not attend the One Ok Rock gig in London (or anywhere else in Europe). They will be going around some parts of Asia in Nov and Dec 2013, as well as the USA (Los Angeles – Club Nokia LA Live, and New York – Best Buy Theater) in Feb 2014 as part of their world tour.

Good afternoon Tutu testers!!
Great post Totes Socrates!! 😀
My take on your post is this …
Yes I think that Wenger and Bouldy will continue to make sweet love like rabbits on Cockies blue cookies!!! Think of the offspring they will have … Tall, elegant, multilingual, with no need of eyeliner … And that’s just the boys!!! 😆 they will be born ready for Cockies revlon tranny parade!!
But with no zip up coats for that catwalk!! 😆
I honestly think from looking at Wenger’s quotes just recently that he will not be going to another club. He’s openly said he has no desire to coach outside the UK so it’s only a matter of time before he “signs da ting”.
Roll on I say!! I am in the lewandowski is SQ brigade and still believe he is the best like for like replacement for RVJ (sorry Greystoke 😀 )
I agree that the next 7 games will be a real good acid test to see where we stand with the big boys!!
I read that Wenger reckons Yaya will be up to speed in 6 months and he has massive belief that he will be SQ!
That tells me a loan move is the most likely option in Jan, but lets hope he puts a sneaky bid on lewandowski!! Not sure if this cut price Bezema report is true but I too think it might not be best to have number 1 and 2 French strikers in the same unit but if anyone could make a call on that puppy it would be le prof!
Thanks Alcide for the French report and Pogba sounds fantastic!!
Thanks guys for all your comments, time to get back to work … Boooo 😀

anyone player who has a certain Reus playing on the wings will be made to look good, not just good but maybe 10 times better than they actually are ? what i’m saying is, put Chamakh next to Reus and he will look like a “worldie” – Lewandowski is not SQ for me nor will be unless and until he started doing it for his National team who actually set him up for a few very very easy finishes for any decent striker to have taken with both hands – just because he had one good game against RM , doesn’t mean he’s been delivering the goods on a consistent basis ?

re- next week, then nah, he doesn’t stand a chance against our warriors – note how Germany conceded 3 goals without a certain german (BFG) – but if , memory serves then they also had a thrilling 4-4 earlier with the swedes ? (both these teams play real attacking football)

yeah, agreed re- Ravel , he has a 19 million release clause but an ego and disciplinary issues that made SAF let him go just like Pogba, where as Pogba has sort of buckled down, i do think there is very little hope for Morrison – which basically pains me as he is a Gooner ? just before WHU were about to play the Spuds, he said ” i want to score against spuds and do it for Arsenal as i’m a gooner or support them” – along them lines

that’s fine, not everyone has to agree with me considering i’m almost mostly in the minority or only one making such comments , it’s cool though

i have given my comments re- Lewandowski, how he is made to be seen to be “SQ” by the quality of players around him – i got a text from one of my Polska mates which went like this ” Lewandowski is Sh*t and he only plays like Ronaldo for the German’s because they pay him a lot of money ” – yikes , if only he rolled it what i told him 18 months ago, he would see the point, but anyway – even Polish fans themselves don’t rate him much

anyhow, Fozzie B reckons he’s a like for like for RVP – then fair play, both are money grabbing sons of gun$$$$$$$$ , greedy – so i can see that like for like there 😉

re- Hart – both Sczny are as bad and good as each other really, football and goal keeping in general is a here and “now” position, not one for someone with massive amounts of potential that will come good in the next 2 years or 18 months – he can fulfill and show that in training and domestic cups or on the bench , if we had got a proper goalie – if and when he comes good, then fair play but for now he isn’t a Goal keeper that would make into the top 6 teams in England let alone in Europe, actually he wouldn’t make it into the top 10 teams in Europe, maybe bench at best…

if you still don’t agree with me then think of top 4-6 teams you think are top notch , line their goalies up and then think where Sczny would be in your own very pecking order when compared to the rest of the lot (let’s not play the “young ” card in this one) as there are some younger keepers better and more consistent than him.

RA,

17HT has already written a few posts 😉 so there goes your excuse for going AWOL on us 🙂 me on the other hand, ah – if i was to write a post then i’m afraid, all of you would want to commit hari kari and Terry might end up pulling his remaining hair out – that is something i am not going to risk at any cost 😀

for the avoidance of doubt Sczny is not the Polish no.1 Goalie “BORUC WAS INJURED” ?, someone mentioned earlier (PG maybe) that it just shows the faith of the polish manager in Scnzy – we now know that it was an enforced change.

re- Ozil – it’s only a bruise (phew) is what i’m hearing and will be available for norwich, brilliant – although, play him just in the 2nd half and let him be fresh for the Dortmund show ?

on a slightly different note, i’m very happy for Gibbs – he got called up and trained with the likes of Baines, i might be pushing this a bit but he is SQ and one of the best LB’s in England, his free kick’s and crossing are absolutely top notch and best in England for me , for sure

hence, it’s only good for Gibbs to be sharing the same dressing room and attending the same training sessions as him, i would be gutted to see Cashley Cole back playing as Baines set pieces / crosses and so on are a thing of beauty – not half bad at defending either.

i hope, Gibbs has learned a few tricks from Baines and can show them against Norwich 😀 i imagine TA will want Norwich to lose but no more than 2 goals due to his alliance of sorts with the city 😉

There is no point in arguing with you about Lewandawski – even if your Polish mate backs up what i said yesterday, i.e. he plays better for club not country, so naturally a native Pole not seeing him play like he would like is going to be peeved. I am sure there are examples of highflyers in previous English line ups? It happens, and you said not long back that RVJ could play the big games for Holland, yet domestically … ?

Sir Chez? You are now expecting the manager to be keen on him after his red card scuppered their chances of qualifying are you? … He was at least given the spot over Fab?

it’s not an argument re- Lewandowski, just shared how my polish mate was feeling last night, ha

no, i said that RVP is a choker and not one for big matches – i stand by it, however, i don’t agree with Lewandowski vs RVP comparison – RVP is head and shoulders better than Lewandowski, with all my biases aside

i didn’t rate Jovetic much, nor do i rate Lewandowski much , either –

i also rate Falcao to be better than Cavani.

but those are all my opinions and takes and i wouldn’t want Lewandowski at Arsenal because quite bluntly put, we need someone better and if we can’t get anyone better than may as well stick with the Giroud/Poldi rotation for striker and Yaya as back up.

he would be given a spot over Fabianki due to fabianski harshly condemned to the bench in favour of Sczny at arsenal – anyhow, all this talk is futile since he’s Wenger’s no.1 and i just don’t agree with every decision Wenger makes or with this team selections, much like i didn’t when he played JW on the RW and Ramsey on the LW int he same game (from the start and not just in hindsight either).

TV5 won’t be leaving Arsenal, not for Dortmund nor Barca , – if he has an ounce of decency, he will do his best for arsenal, considering he has missed large chunks out on the treatment table , unless AW wanted to sell him, i do not see him leaving Arsenal.

on that front, i do see TV starting against Norwich / Chelsea and possibly Crystal Palace though.

he still has a vital part to play for Arsenal and if he helps us win trophies and so on, then he is likely to start over his mate at Spuds, and Vinny Kompany is very injury prone, so i’m guessing his place for the Belgium team for brazil is more or less guaranteed as long as he manages to stay fit himself.

to your question, it’s an interesting chain of transfers but i much rather us keeping TV5

i have been so anti-Lewandowski, i was hoping HH would come out fighting ? it hasn’t worked has it – epic fail it seems ahahahahahahahhahahahahaha

Jambon at least you stick to your guns – we have to give you that. Lewandowski will in the meantime keep winning silverware and scoring 0.5 gaols per game at the top level. Just have a look at the goals he scored against RM and tell whether it was not total class…..

How can this blog be taken serious ?.
Look at the avatars of the things/people who have clicked “Liked” under the headline post !.
A who`s who of fruit cakes, cuckoo`s and nutters !. Lucky I`m there to add some normality. hahaha

however, i wouldn’t be what i am without all you fine folks writing quality posts/articles week in week out – days in days out, i merely take them forward based on my way set of thoughts which are often very deluded and without much logic, ha – good on all of you for bearing me for as long as you have.

before i do a whole “Oscar style speech” i think i’ll do a runner

great news re- Ozil and Santi though – both seemingly available and will be confirmed by AW tomorrow, officially.

will this be like the first ever international break, where we get all our players back – fairly fit and healthy ? could this really be true – stay tuned until AW’s next press conference pre- Norwich to find the truth, until then it’s see you laters alligators !

For the record, I don’t want us to sign big Lewi either. But I do think he is a quality striker, so I may come back to after our Dortmund tie next week … and again 2 weeks later 😉

Agree to disagree on both players.

If you are referring to the WBA selection of Ramsey and JW then you may remember it was AW’s team selection brought about my black mood of disappointment?

However, I have to say in my viewing of the 2nd half of the Napoli game that I watched on Sunday, Jack came on in that period and it did work quite well. So I fully expect him to start against Norwich in a similar advanced role, as they may want to rest Ozil to be sure he is okay for Dortmund?

Much as I like TV5, if AW has not got much confidence in the Kos/TV partnership, like a lot of us observers do too, then it leaves us short of a decent pairing when Per sits one out? It also means that he will not get much game time in the build up to WC2014 with the preferred pairing being Per and Kos?

But yes, his prod to the media may well get him a starting role alongside Per on Saturday. It will be a case of watch this space between now and Christmas? It may be worth noting if he sits out the CL games, as he would be more valuable to a team still in it in January?

My little merry-go-round of players left out a replacement for him, but you may recall, I do like a young player who would be ideal? Mind he too would want game time too, having just had a recent call up?

Sakho looks good on the FFF stats, and would have been a good buy if we were thinking of replacing the BFG, thankfully we were not.

Just on the working combination of Kos and Verm, I think it was HT who thought they should work well when their pace might be needed. However, if my memory serves me right, it was mostly Kos’s game that goes awry, especially at set pieces, as he has to do the organising bit that Per would do? Of course if we had an experienced keeper he could do that 😆

Evening codpiece cuddles!!
Going back to lewandowski haha 😆
The guy is only 25!! How good was RVJ at that age? Not as good as lewandowski at this age right?
His best years are to come. He’s not my number one choice either as I’ve said Reus is but boy he could do some serious damage in our lineup!!
Vickers have you recovered from your earlier fainting episode?? You know the one after you read about Wenger’s and Bouldys tranny lovechildren?? 😆
I can imagine as soon as you came round you got your polishing rags out for the zimmer and zoomed down to the local Chinese with wet in wipes in back pocket!! 😆 Cockie in the closet with his light sabre getting ready for another tranny Ferris wheel experience!! 😆 ohhhh to be a furry gooner!! Haha 😆
I bet by the time I post this Totes Socrates has put up a new post!! Always my luck lately … 😀